Production method and product made of fabric incorporating a tracking transponder

ABSTRACT

A method for producing products made of fabric incorporating a tracking transponder, comprises the step of weaving a strip of fabric comprising a sequence of pockets obtained directly by knitting during weaving. After weaving, the strip is cut into pieces with at least a pocket that opens onto an edge that of the cut piece and a transponder is introduced into the pocket. After the transponder has been introduced the pocket is shut permanently, advantageously by means of sewing a hem on the product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a production method and to fabric products, such as, in particular, tablecloths, napkins, sheets and the like, provided with a transponder tracking device.

2. State of the Prior Art

In the field of industrial cleaning services, tracking the garments withdrawn for washing is a problem because it is a problem being able to tag incoming garments and return the garments reliably. In order to overcome this problem it has been proposed to provide the products to be washed with a transponder TAG (for example RFID) in order to be able to read directly from the withdrawn product a code identifying the proprietor. With the appropriate data reading and management tools it is possible to trace the products during each processing step, from withdrawal from the customer to returning the products.

The problem thus becomes the problem of succeeding in providing each product with a tag, without this detracting from the appearance of the product (for example a restaurant napkin), without the tag being easily removable and without an excessive increase in the production costs of the product. In order to ensure these features, the simple expedient of sewing the tag onto the product is not always satisfactory. The general object of the present invention is to overcome the aforesaid drawbacks, by providing a production method and fabric products with an advantageously incorporated transponder.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of this object, a method according to the invention has been devised for producing fabric products incorporating a tracking transponder, comprising the steps of weaving a strip of fabric comprising a sequence of pockets obtained directly by knitting during weaving, cutting from the strip of fabric pieces with at least a pocket that opens on an edge of the piece, introducing a transponder into the pocket, permanently closing the pocket.

Also a product provided with a transponder is claimed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to make the explanation of the innovative principles of the present invention and the advantages thereof over the known art clearer, with the help of the enclosed drawings a possible embodiment applying such principles will be disclosed below. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a strip of fabric obtained according to a step of the method of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial schematic view of a piece of fabric cut from the strip in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial schematic view of the piece of fabric in FIG. 2, after a hem-making operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the figures, in FIG. 1 there is shown a strip 10 of fabric made according to the principles of the present invention. This strip is woven, by means of an in itself known weaving loom, so as to form therein a sequence of pockets 11 by means of a knitting operation during weaving. Here, “knitting” is defined as local weaving in a zone of fabric in a zone of the fabric of two layers of superimposed fabric using half of the warp yarn of the zone to form a layer and the other half to form the other layer. As is easily imaginable by those skilled in the art, this is easily obtained by commanding differentiated programmed lifting of the healds or the links of the frame during wefting, so that a weft yarn affects the top layer whilst a successive weft yarn affects the lower state for the entire zone that it is desired to obtain knitted on two superimposed layers. Such a process, just like the loom that achieves the process, is easily imaginable by those skilled in the art.

By making such knitting in a central zone of the strip of fabric a pouch or closed pocket is practically obtained that advantageously has a rectangular shape.

The sequence of pockets is advantageously produced in a longitudinal direction in the strip and the pockets are opened by means of transverse cuts 12 that intersect the pockets and separate the pieces from the strip from which the fabric products will be obtained. For this purpose the pockets are here advantageously repeated with a pitch that is equal to that of the cuts that will separate the pieces.

Preferably, the cut was made near a head or tail side of the respective pocket so that almost the entire totality of the pocket produced by weaving remains on an edge of the piece.

Alternatively, a pocket can be produced that is twice as long as necessary and the cut can be made in a median position to simultaneously obtain a pocket in the piece downstream of the cut and a pocket, turned in the opposite direction, in the piece upstream of the cut.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a detail of a pocket after the piece has been cut, with the mouth of the pocket that opens on the edge 13 of the piece obtained by the separation cut.

A known transponder device (for example RFID) is thus introduced into the pocket for future tracking of the product. The device may be, for example, of the disc type (very widespread and therefore particularly cheap) with dimensions of about a centimeter in diameter and of one or two millimeters in thickness.

The pocket will have naturally been sized to receive the envisaged device, with a minimum of side clearance.

In an embodiment of the invention, it was found to be useful to insert a bag 15 containing the transponder into the pocket. The bag can be introduced before the transponder, or may already contain the transponder. Using the bag strengthens the pocket, the wall of which consists of a fabric that has only half the warp yarns of the rest of the piece. By using a similar fabric to that of the strip (for example of the same color or the like, also cut directly from the strip) the transparent transponder is also made less visible.

Once the transponder (with or without bag) has been introduced, the pocket can be permanently shut.

Advantageously, closure can be achieved by means of sewing the edge 13, sewing that can preferably be the same sewing that forms a finishing hem of an edge of the fabric product. This is shown by way of example in FIG. 3, where a hem 16 is made along the edge 13.

The disclosed method has been found to be particularly advantageous for making pieces from which to obtain products chosen from tablecloths, napkins, sheets and the like, i.e. exactly those fabric products that are normally collected and returned in large quantities to the same customer (for example a hotel or a restaurant) by industrial cleaners.

At this point it is clear how the set objects have been achieved. By following the principles of the invention, a product is obtained that is provided with a transponder of limited cost, as the fabric of the pocket is processed as the same time as the fabric is woven and the pocket-closing operations may coincide with those of putting a hem on the product. Further, the insertion point of the transponder is almost invisible and accidental removal is impossible, there being no points that could get caught and cause the transponder to become detached from the fabric. Especially in the case of napkins, the transponder that is inserted as disclosed does not disturb the user and, at the same time, the user is prevented from easily removing the transponder, for example out of curiosity.

Naturally, the above description of an embodiment applying the innovative principles of the present invention is provided merely by way of example of such innovative principles and must not therefore be taken to limit the scope of what is claimed herein. For example, the transponder and, if so desired, the pocket may have shapes and dimensions that are different from those shown in the drawings, also according to specific design and use requirements.

The width of the piece and the number of pockets in the width will depend on the purpose for which the product is intended.

Labels may also be made for garments by forming relatively narrow strips, for example along the width of the pocket. 

1. Method for producing fabric products incorporating a tracking transponder, comprising the steps of weaving a strip of fabric comprising a sequence of pockets obtained directly by knitting during weaving, cutting from the strip of fabric pieces with at least a pocket that opens on an edge of the piece, introducing a transponder into the pocket, permanently closing the pocket.
 2. Method according to claim 1, in which the sequence of pockets is produced in a longitudinal direction in the strip and the pockets are opened by transverse cuts of the strip that intersect the pockets and separate the pieces from the strip.
 3. Method according to claim 1, in which the pocket is closed by sewing the edge.
 4. Method according to claim 3, in which sewing the edge that closes the pocket forms a finishing hem of an edge of the fabric product.
 5. Method according to claim 1, comprising the further intermediate step of introducing into the pocket a containing bag of the transponder.
 6. Method according to claim 5, in which the bag is made of a fabric that is similar to that of the strip.
 7. Method according to claim 1, comprising the steps of cutting and sewing the pieces to obtain products chosen from tablecloths, napkins, sheets and the like.
 8. Fabric product incorporating a tracking transponder inserted into a pocket obtained in the fabric through knitting during weaving.
 9. Product according to claim 8, characterized in that the pocket is near an edge of the product and is closed on this edge by a finishing stitch of the edge.
 10. Product according to claim 8, characterized in that in the bag there is a bag for containing the transponder.
 11. Product according to claim 10, characterized in that the bag is made of fabric that is similar to that of the product.
 12. Product according to claim 8, characterized in that it is a tablecloth, a napkin, a sheet or the like.
 13. Product according to claim 8, characterized in that it is a label. 